French Exit movie review 2021

MOVIE TITLE: French Exit

The movie is available in select theaters and on Video on Demand. It’ll be available for purchase on June 15, 2021

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 53 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

Sony Pictures presents a dramedy about an aging Manhattan socialite living on what’s barely left of her inheritance who moves to a small apartment in Paris with her son and cat. It’s based on the best-selling book by Patrick deWitt called French Exit: A Novel . The quirky film features one of the best performances of Michelle Pfeiffer’s career.

The title gets its name from the slang term for leaving an engagement or situation without warning or without saying goodbye. You’ll see several illustrations of that concept in the movie by various characters.

THINGS I LIKED:

Who doesn’t adore Academy Award nominee Michelle Pfeiffer? She is as beautiful and compelling as ever in her role in this film. She said she loved making this movie and that it ranked in the top 5 of her movie-making career. Since we’re talking about numbers, Slant Magazine ranked Pfeiffer’s performance among the top 20 of 2020. It even garnered her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. Her outstanding performance is, by far, the reason to watch this movie.
Another Academy Award nominee, Lucas Hedges, also delivers a solid performance. Did you know he’s the son of poet and actress Susan Bruce and Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director Peter Hedges?
There’s something really special about Imagen Poots. I can never keep my eyes off her when she’s in a scene.
New York City and Paris are two of the lovely characters in the film.
The outstanding cast also includes Valerie Mahaffey, Susan Coyne, Danielle Macdonald, and the voice of Tracy Letts.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

All of the characters are so ridiculously quirky and dysfunctional. Their whimsical personalities are entertaining at first, but then become annoying by the end. The problem is that we simply can’t identify with any of them.
The story itself is odd, slow-paced, and doesn’t really go anywhere. It kind of reminded me of Woody Allen movies, yet not nearly as charming or funny.
I’m told that the cat is a clear and important character in DeWitt’s book, but in the movie, it’s just another random persona.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Premarital relations
You see a frozen male body part.
Profanity and some crude language, including F-bombs

THEMES:

Loneliness
Dysfunctional families
Dignity
Suicide
Money, bankruptcy, the appearance of wealth
Meaning and purpose

FUNNY LINES:

“I’m puzzled and this is what’s puzzling me.” – Madame Reynard (Valerie Mahaffey)
“How do you do?” – Joan (Susan Coyne) “I do well. In fact, I do very well.” – Madame Reynard (Valerie Mahaffey)

INTERESTING LINES:

“Did you drink to the brink of sound reason?” – Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer)
“To be youngish and in love-ish.” – Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer)
“My plan was to die before the money ran out but I kept on not dying and here I am.” – Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer)
“I want you to know that I am trying to fall out of love with you.” – Susan (Imogen Poots)
“I have no need of friends in my life at the moment.” – Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer)
“What a lottery life is.” – Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer)
“I believe friendship is the greatest force for good more than any religion, don’t you think?” – Madame Reynard (Valerie Mahaffey)